Shaggy

Don't know about the webcam. Not a priority, and I doubt any maintenance fellas want to climb to the top of the Tower in these temperatures to move it. Not sure about Delirium updates on the PKI site. I son't work for the park. But I would suspect that we will see new pics as Delirium begins to rise over the next week or so. Shaggy

As far as the completion dates of the new attractions..... as far as I know as long as they are ready to run for the media day... all should be good.... That is probably their completion date ;-) Watch for Delirium to rise over the next week. The PKI skyline will not be the same again! Shaggy

Only if you wear a cape, that has 10 years worth of dust on it while waving your arms up and down and facing your head to your feet. Seemed to work for the Maestro. Shaggy

The main thing to keep in mind with the interior of Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle is that most everything is flat. Whereas the props in Phantom Theatre were all very realistic, Scooby takes on a much more cartoonish feel. It has a smaller and more intimate feel as well, rather than the open warehouse ambiance that PT had. Although I wish things were a bit more dimensional, some of the effects and surprises are fan-freaking-tastic. What was odd was being in a place so familiar in layout, yet so different looking. The outside of the building will look just like the drawing on the PKI site. You will enter through large iron gates similar to the old PT entrance. However, this new gate is furthur to the left. You will cross an elaborate bridge to the building. The building facade is nearly twice as tall as the old PT front. The entrance is actually on the corner of the building as opposed to one side. The entrance path spirals down into the Grand Hall. Not much work has been done to the Grand hall, which is where the que will be. When you enter there are new walls that will filter out the light and make the interior darker and the effects more well.... effective. The upper "balcony" that surrounded the que and was home to Maestro #1 is being ripped out and the former "lightening windows" sealed up. This area will have fun stuff with a storyline that sets up the ride. The old organ that the Maestro figure played while in the que of PT was literally smashed into pieces on the floor. Don't feel too bad for it though, it was only a plywood box ;-) Shaggy

I am sure any remodeling vs demolishing decisions are made depending upon the needs. For instance, when Adventure Village turned into Action Zone, the former Congo Curio shop was dempolished and replaced with a brand new facility to house Ice Scream Zone. I guarantee you that it was all due to the need for plumbing and more electrical. But on the flip side, the former Cafe Kilimanjaro simply had it's facade changed to suit the new area. The building was not torn down, simply because it had the requirements that the new Stunt Crew Grill needed. Shaggy

Scooby Doo and the Haunted Castle only utilizes the former Phantom Theatre area. It was not expanded into any part of the Enchanted Theatre. The Enchanted Theatre will be used for character costume storage and dressing rooms. But that is it. Shaggy

I was fortunate enough to take a walking tour of PKI the other day, and got to see for myself how truly fantastic the new Scooby ride at PKI will be. I'll post pics from the rest of the park later, but for now, here are some links you may enjoy. FYI, these are my own pics, taken by little ol me, and I would appreciate that anyone consult me before using elsewhere. Enjoy! Shaggy First the main page.... http://hometown.aol.com/jhnktr/coasterpics.html Individual full sized images... http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc1.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc11.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc7.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc8.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc6.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc9.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc10.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc4.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc5.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc2.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc3.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc13.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc14.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc15.jpg http://members.aol.com/jhnktr/images/scoobyhc16.jpg

Beastfreak said: "Delirium will be my first stop, unless that smell of Chinese food stops me on the way to Action Zone" If you are talking about the Chinese food stand that was located on International Street near the Eiffel Tower (next to age and weight at the entrance to HB land) well worry no more. The food stand was demolished and will not be there this season. Shaggy

I am typically not vocal about alternative life subjects, but thought I would throw this out there. My first time as an employee at PKI was on a "Pride Night." I was working FOF. I didn't know it was a "special event" but soon realized once I was at the park. Actually it turned out that the people there that evening were polite, kind, patient and articulate as well as clean and rule-abiding. Compared to other horror stories I can tell you, working a Pride Night at PKI was far from a "scary" experience. When I think of scary experiences at PKI, I think in terms of various accidents or incidents I witnessed.... all due to rider or guest negligence. The park is VERY safety concious, and I gave my word when I worked there that I would not dicuss specific incidents I witnessed as a ride op. But the GP does really stupid things, and often get hurt because of their own ignorance. What is scary to me is when a guest feels they are superior or more intelligent than the safety rules and regulations. I used to tell myself before each shift that I have to remember that the brain cells get sucked out of guests heads when they enter the park, and it is up to me and the other PKI employees to basically look out for them and do the thinking for them. Sad, but true. Shaggy

It's not... this off season. Shaggy

Not dying for someone to ask. You'll soon see ;-) Shaggy

Go to www.pki.com and follow the Scooby construction links. There you will see the begginnings of what should be a great new attraction.... I am still trying to figure out what Mr. Siebert is trying to do in one of those photos ;-) Shaggy

It amazes me that David and Jeff remain so upbeat and pleasant. They get BOMBARDED by hundreds of questions sent by enthusiasts ALL OF THE TIME. Remember that the more time they have to spend answering relentless emails speculating about some obscure areas of the park, the less time they have to work on ACTUAL attractions. Shaggy

How do I know? I was told by park management. It is not a big secret. There are lots of esthetic improvements for next year. There's another that no-one is talking about that may surprise and please some. And no, it is not a ride..... Back to the fountains.... there was a tremdous problem with the Fountain leaking plus the filtration and pumping system was completely outdated. Honestly, most will not be able to tell that much of a difference, but the thing is a mess right now. Shaggy

Yes, but they have been removed for the current renovation. They are being re-furbished too. Shaggy

No Cinema 180 did not cost extra. Shaggy

Yes.... still undergoing a complete overhaul. Guests probably won't even notice it come opening, but the fountains are the site of a big construction mess right now. Shaggy

"The damage to the Top Gun train was irrepairable. It was like an explosion. Nothing was left but one of the supports that the train hung from." That is an exaggeration. I saw the train, and although heavily damaged, it was not in tiny bits and pieces like it exploded. You make it sound like someone threw a dynamite stick in it. Obviously the fiberglass shell was destroyed, and there was significant harm done to the front chassis, but the bulk of damage only affected the front half of the train. I am sure the entire train was replaced, but good parts from the un-damaged train sections were more than likely kept for replacement parts. Don't forget that there were also pictures that appeared on the web at the time of the accident that showed the train stalled in the collision area with only the front half covered by a tarp. Shaggy

Anyway they have the incidents reversed. The pond accident happened before to the Flight Commander incident . Actually about an hour or two prior. When the FC incident happened, investigators first thought the woman that fell had been trying to see what was going on in the Octoberfest area and squirmed out of the restraint to see into the closed area of the park. That was later proved false. Shaggy

Cinema 180 was fun, but I recall one of the final years it had a movie that featured flying in a helicopter, rafting over rapids and a rollercoaster. Ironically the rollercoaster it featured was "The Beast." I remember thinking to myself "Jimminy Crickets, why doesn't everyone just go ride it for real rather than watch a movie of it?" Shaggy

The "basket" like spinning ride that you are referring to was indeed a round-up. The name PKI called it was "Halley's Comet." The ride lasted from 1972 until 1982. It was located in two seperate locations during it's life at KI. First, it sat right about where the high striker game is now on Coney Mall. Coney Mall, then called "Old Coney" ended right where the Zephyr (or Swings) are now. In 1975, Old Coney was expanded and lenthened. At this point Halley's Comet was relocated to the rear of Coney Mall right where the entrance plaza to Action Theatre now sits. It was a ride that came from Cincinnati's Coney Island when that park ceased and KI opened. There are still two round-ups in the area.... one at Lesordesville Lake and one at, ironically, Coney Island. Neither is the model that KI used.... it was junked. Also, Holiday World in Indiana has one that is often rumored to be the former KI attraction, but that rumor is false. Regarding the other rides people have mentioned: - The Rotor, the other KI original stand-up spinning ride, was located just behind International Street in the area of the Festhaus. It was a ride transferred from Cincinnati's Coney Island as well and, ironically enough, was removed around the same time as Halley's Comet. - Wheel of Fortune was a Chance Trabant and was located exactly where the "Nick Central" sign is now next to the Rivertown Bathrooms. It opened with the park and lasted until the mid-1980's. It was one of a very few Trabants that cycled both forwards and backwards. It was replaced with Scrappy's Slide which is also now defunct. -Zodiac was a large Intamin double Sky Wheel located at the back of Old Coney where the Euro Bungee trampolines and Laser Tag now reside. It was added for the Old Coney expansion in 1975 and lasted until the late 1980's when Flight Commander was added in it's place. The ride was relocated to Wonderland Sydney a KI sister park, where it still operates as one of the few remaining Sky Wheels. - Sunshine Turnpike was a huge kids mini-sportscar attraction that was located where the Nick area now sits. At the time, it formed the rear of HB land. It dissapeared prior to the addition of Nickelodeon. - Cuddle Up was a spinning, teacup like ride located in Old Coney. It shared a building with Dodgems for years before the area was expanded. The building that housed them still exists and is now home to the Rock Shop. The rear is used for storage and for a Haunted Attraction during Fearfest. Both rides came from Cincinnati's Coney Island. When Coney was once again updated in the mid-1980's the Dodgems were replaced with a larger version at the site of the Flying Eagles, which moved to their present day location at back corner of Coney Mall. - Bayern Curve was located where the Sling Shot now sits. It had an extensive Bavarian Olympic theme and ran from 1973 (It was added for the park's 2nd season along with Kenton's Cove Keelboat Canal, the International Resteraunt and the Flying Dutchman.) until 1983. It was removed for the addition of King Cobra. - The Flying Dutchman was located right where the exit to Adventure Express now is. If you look at the pavement in that area, and around the remote control cars, you can see the outline of the old que/loading area. The ride ran through 1990 when it was removed for the addition of Adventure Express. - Tumble Bug was a Schwarzkopf antique that came from Cincinnati's Coney Island where it operated for many, many years. It was located in Old Coney near The Racer's entrance where the basketball toss now sits. It operated at KI until around 1985 when it was removed for the addition of Skylab. Sadly, the ride was junked and discarded having entertained literally thousands of people for decades. It, IMO, was one of the silliest removals KI ever made. - Skylab was a Huss Giant Enterprise. Only three ever existed and KI had one of them. It was added in 1986, I think, and lasted until the mid-1990s. It was a maintenance nightmare in which the hydraulic arm would "fail" and the wheel would drop to the ground with a loud "THUD." The ride, althrough a guest favorite, took the place of the Tubble Bug. It was removed after the park deemed the ride too costly to repair and unsafe. It sat idle for a full season before it was fianlly removed. The que and drivers booth (also used for the TB) still exists and can be seen next to The Racer's exit. It has been enclosed, and is used for storage of plush prizes. Only one Giant Enterprise still exists, and it is at KI's sister park Paramount's Canada's Wonderland. - Der Spinner Keggers was located in Octoberfest where the airbrushed T-shirt stand now sits. It was built by Chance, I believe, and was a brand new ride when the park opened. It lasted until the mid 1980's. It was basically a large cuddle-up spinning ride that sat on a tilted platform, much like the Calypso rides of yesteryear. It was themed to Bavarian beer barrels. A smaller, but similarly themed version operates at Canada's Wonderland to this day. - There are plantly of others that I neglected to mention.... the Flying Carpet Slide, Scrappy's Slide, Gulliver's Rub-A-Dub-Tubs, the Puppet Tree, McScrappy's Farm, the House of Cards, Winnie Witch's Cauldrons, Flight Commander, Cinema 180, the Octoberfest Ferris Wheel, the Congo Elephant rides, etc etc etc..... but I have spent way too much time on this post already. Shaggy

Jungle Jims is actually a grocery store in Fairfield Ohio. But calling it a grocery store is quite an understatment. It is it's own "unique" experience. It started as a fruit stand and eventually became a store. It began featuring cuisine and hard to find products from around the world. Over time, Jim added fountains, decorations and animated characters to keep the kids entertained. Eventually the decor got more and more elaborate and business grew right with it. Last I heard, there was a plan to eventually build a hotel on site. People come from miles away just to go. Here is a link below. If you want to see the former PKI monerail as it looks today, just use the link below, choose attractions from the menu then scroll all the way down on that page. Shaggy Jungle Jims

I didn't say that the elephant was on display. Rather, that they had bought it. Fact is. Jungle Jims has it in storage. Just about 3 years ago, a handful of Fairfield High School Seniors were arrested for trying to sneak it out of storage to place it on the lawn of the high school as a senior prank. That was how I learned they had bought it. Shaggy

Not sure. The Zoo housed some of the animals in the off season during the latter years, so perhaps. However by the time the ride closed for good, most of the animals had gone away. I recall riding it in it's last year and only seeing a handfull of animals... as opposed to hundreds in it's heyday. Shaggy

The Monerail was actually called the "Wild Animal Safari." The main station building was located right about where Drop Zone's Queue building and the Skyfler are now. It left the building in the direction of the (now) Days of Thunder Go-Karts area. It then traversed behind King Cobra, through the Adventure Express area then through the (now)FOF area and back into the back left corner of the property. It then circled around and made it's way back to the station via the lands near Top gun that now houses Son of Beast. Many of the old sheds that housed the animals can still be found on the property, as well as markings from the former ponds and "Preserves" built for them. The ride was broken down into areas or "Preserves" based on the animal type. For instance, you would have the "Nairobi Preserve" that would house the Hippos etc. Guests rode in enclosed trains that traversed a concrete path with a center guide rail. Each train was motorized and had a driver and narrator. The driver was necessary to stop the monerail whenever animals neared the train or crossed the track ahead.... which they often did. The narrator, of course explained the areas and gave information over a louspeaker about the animals and preserves. When the terrain dictated...such as in the Adventure Express area, the path was elevated up on large concrete pillars. The attraction was added in 1974 when KI opened the "Wild Animal Habitat" portion of the park which later became Adventure Villiage and is now Action Zone. The attraction closed after the 1993 season. It only operated for 1 season under Paramount ownership. In it's final years, the ride was free, but prior had cost a nominal fee. What many do not recall is that it operated nearly year round. And folks could visit the attraction in the off-season for several years. The ride's remains sat in storage until about 4 years ago when Jungle Jims in Fairfield bought it, along with the squirting blue elephant from Hannah Barberra Land. In it's History, the Wild Animal Habitat made national news several times... once when a lion keeper was mauled and killed, once when a female was denied a job there as a trainer and filed a lawsuit, once when several baboons escaped and were retrieved in many nearby neighborhoods, and a few times when animals were born in captivity. Shaggy